Gone
by SharkAttack719
Summary: Nico di Angelo fell for Percy Jackson too hard. After the end of the Giant War, Nico reflects on his journey as he begins his new one. Because as a son of Hades, he will never fit in. He is...Gone. ONE-SHOT. Post-HoO. Not Perico. Only Nico is in love with Percy. T because I'm paranoid.


**Disclaimer: I don't own any of this aside from the very end. Perhaps paraphrased but still Rick Riordan's work.**

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Nico di Angelo wanted to hate Percy Jackson. But he couldn't. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't bring himself to detest the handsome, green-eyed son of Poseidon.

Jason didn't understand enough. He wasn't Bianca. Only Bianca understood.

His fascination of men began a long time ago, back in Italy before the Second World War. But Percy Jackson was the first one he'd fallen for. That very first night at Westover Hall, he had been utterly awed by the first demigod he'd seen in action. Percy stood over him and his sister, willing to sacrifice his life to protect them. Anaklusmos had gleamed in the dark.

Later, at Camp Half-Blood, Percy took him by the arm, promising to keep his sister Bianca safe. Nico had foolishly believed it. He was young and impressionable. He had looked into Percy's sea-green eyes and thought, _How can he possibly fail? This is a real hero_. He was Nico's favourite game, Mythomagic, brought to life.

Then Percy returned from the quest only to tell him that Bianca was dead. Nico had screamed and called him a liar. He'd felt betrayed, but still…when the skeleton warriors attacked, he couldn't let them harm Percy. Nico had called on the earth to swallow them up, and then he'd run away—terrified of his own powers, and his own emotions.

He'd spent time in the Underworld, met the ghost of King Minos, and planned to trade Daedalus' soul for Bianca's. He needed the only person he could trust with his emotions. He needed her to console him, to keep him in control. Then he'd found his way to Geryon's ranch. He thought he would be alone there. But of course, Percy Jackson arrived. Perhaps in the nick of time.

Nico had drawn his sword when he saw the son of Poseidon, afraid his emotions would get the best of him if Percy got too close. He had claimed that they wanted to kill him. He had claimed that he _would_ kill them if they got anywhere near him. As Nico sat in the very back of the trolley, he couldn't help but stare at Percy. Percy had grown in the past half a year. He had gotten taller, leaner and overall better looking. But he saw the way Annabeth looked at Percy. And he got jealous.

When they had gotten tied up at the barbecue, Nico was secretly hoping that Percy would save them. He would be their hero once again. He just had to go off to try and clean the horse's stables. Despite how impossible the task seemed, Nico _knew_ that Percy would be able to complete the task. And he did. Then he saved them all once again. Nico decided to glare at him. He decided to blame him for his sister's death, just as he had the previous time they'd encountered each other.

After, Percy suggested that Bianca had warned Percy of what Nico was doing so that the he could protect him. Had his sister known about his infatuation of Percy? That seemed impossible.

Yet he later tried summoning his sister. When Minos interrupted, Nico ordered him to go away. Something in his gut told him Percy was right.

He was.

Nico tried to hate it. But he just couldn't. He loved the son of Poseidon more than he could have ever believed.

Later, at Daedalus' workshop, when Percy was in trouble, he knew he had to do something. When Minos declared himself the ghost king, he had wholly refused. He told Minos that _he_ was the ghost king and saved Percy.

But when Percy told him that he could have friends at camp, that he could be accepted by the living, he saw the swirling doubt in the demigod's eyes. He wasn't certain. And that hurt him. He'd still saved them later when Kronos had ordered his minions to chase after them. He'd summoned a jagged spire of rock the size of an eighteen-wheeler to seal the entrance of the fortress.

Then he'd come to Percy, thinking that he would be the only hero that could possibly survive the River Styx. He would be the one to become invincible and destroy Kronos.

So many days passed. Then it became a year. The final battle at Manhattan was fought, and before Nico knew what was happening, his father thrust him into the world of the Roman demigods. He learned for days upon days upon days about the Twelfth Legion. He met Jason Grace and Reyna Avila Ramirez Arellano. Needless to say, he was surprised that Jason Grace was Thalia Grace's brother because they looked nothing alike.

And Jason didn't live up to expectations. Nico had bitterly left Camp Half-Blood because Annabeth and Percy had started dating. He'd hoped there would be another hero for him to love. But there wasn't. Jason was too…perfect. Nico loved Percy's rule-breaking attitude. He even looked like a rebel. He was out of control, like the ocean. Jason was far too much like a natural leader.

When Percy arrived at Camp Jupiter, Nico had been stunned. Hazel Levesque didn't know about his feelings like Bianca did. And he intended not to share them with her. He knew he'd said Percy's name like an incantation, as if Percy was a god. He just hoped Hazel wouldn't pick up the underlying meaning.

Instead of sticking around after the War Games, which Nico giddily watched from far away, Nico decided to head to Rome. He was overconfident and wanted to find the Doors of Death and Gaea's army himself. Obviously it didn't work, and he needed to enter a death trance.

It was Percy that saved him again.

No matter where he went, Percy Jackson would always follow him, as if asking for his hand in marriage. But Nico knew that couldn't be further from the truth. Percy and Annabeth loved each other like no couple he'd ever seen. It left a bitter taste in his mouth. He hated that couple.

They were too perfect as a couple the same way Jason was too perfect as an individual. Percy was a laid back, relaxed, handsome, irritating and humble demigod. Annabeth was an uptight, smart-ass, beautiful, know-it-all. Their relationship worked well because of their off-balance personalities.

Nico secretly wished they were like Piper and Jason. Piper and Jason were so tentative around one another. Their relationship was rocky, and although it was clear they loved each other, they couldn't seem to get past their pasts. Jason was perfect: honourable, loyal, confident. Piper was beautiful without trying. She, in her own way, was perfect. But they were plagued by doubt and criticized themselves often.

Nico hated having to get Diocletian's scepter. He knew it was guarded by Cupid and knew that Cupid would make him spill his love-life instead of Jason. Jason found out about his well-guarded secret. Jason believed that he knew what Nico was feeling, that everyone would accept him even after his secret was spilled, but he knew Annabeth and Percy would alienate him. No one would truly appreciate him.

Children of Hades rarely get happy endings. He would be one of those who got sad endings. Bianca was one of the few who did get a happy ending. And she was gone now. Bianca's soul was gone forever. Rebirth did that to you.

So he promised Jason that after the Giants fell, he would be done with demigods and the Greek world forever.

And that's where he stood.

Far away from the eyes of the gods, Nico di Angelo stood atop the Taipei 101. He had no mortal documents. They had died along with his mother decades ago. No one would recognized him. Percy, who didn't even know that Nico had left, would never hear of his death. Jason, who didn't know where the son of Hades had gone, would never mourn him. Hazel, who still didn't know the truth, would never learn of where her half-brother had gone. She didn't have that same power over the dead as he did.

No one would know. They would be too ignorant, too selfish to understand. Only his father would know. And if he guessed correctly, his father hated him.

Nico took a step forward, and suddenly his vision tumbled. The whole world spun around him as he fell. He almost felt Thanatos' presence next to him. But he didn't care. Because as soon as he fell, he couldn't feel pain anymore. His vision went dark.

And Nico di Angelo was Gone.


End file.
